The Short Life of Lacey
by Katherine RaineKeth
Summary: Mr. Gold grunted in distaste. As far as he could tell, Lacey was childish, unsophisticated and vain. Nothing like his Belle. However, when he finally poured the Blue Fairy's potion into the chipped cup, he knew he would never forget Lacey. He'd never forget when she said to him, "Mr. Gold, I think I love you." He'd never forget that he didn't say it back.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own OUAT.

* * *

**1**

Lacey finished up her fifth shot of Jack Daniel's.

"One more please." She snapped her finger to signal the bartender when a man took the seat next to her.

"Hey gorgeous." The man smiled at Lacey, and then took out a five-dollar bill from his pocket and handed it to the bartender. "Let me get you this one."

Lacey took a side glance at the man. The man wasn't bad looking. Brilliant smile. Friendly. She smiled at him, "Sorry, not my type," and turned away.

"Well, you can't know what type I'm already," the man said, "maybe we could—"

Suddenly another man came up to the bar and whispered in the first man's ear, "Are you crazy? She's Mr. Gold's girl!"

Lacey's mouth dropped open.

"She's what?"

"_Mr. Gold's_ girl!" The second man replied urgently. "Keith touched her and he's still in the hospital. Leave _now_ you idiot!"

The first man looked like he'd been punched. "I-I…" he turned to Lacey and stammered, "I'm sorry, uh…you…please don't tell Mr. Gold about this. It won't happen again." Then he scurried away with his friend like a frightened animal.

Still shocked, Lacey gaped at the door where the men had just left. Mr. Gold's girl?

Lacey's face burned, she was not sure whether it was from the alcohol or from the memory of Mr. Gold.

The last time she saw Mr. Gold was two days ago, when they had had their disastrous first date. She had always thought of Mr. Gold as some nice, boring guy who visited her in the hospital. A man who was hopelessly in love with his Belle—who wasn't her.

Their date had gone as she expected: painfully dull. What she had not expected was to find Mr. Gold bludgeoning Keith to death for touching her—which she had initiated.

The sudden rush of exhilaration had been palpable.

"_You really are as dark as people say."_

"_Darker dearie, much darker."_

The Mr. Gold she had seen that night exuded power, confidence and darkness. Suddenly he didn't seem so boring after all.

The memory sent a shiver down Lacey's spine and made her knees weak. _Mr. Gold's girl. _She rather liked it.

**X X X**

Mr. Gold flipped the shop sign to CLOSED and began to place all the antique items back into the showcase. He was heading to the door when he paused, and then turned back to the cupboard, from which he took out a chipped cup.

Mr. Gold sat down on a chair and held the cup in his hands. He felt exhausted and lost. He'd always sought Belle's guidance when he was lost, but now he'd lost that too.

Mr. Gold hadn't seen Belle in the past two days. He needed the space and distance. He did not know how to face this Belle, this new Belle—Lacey.

When Lacey had found him taking his frustration out on that foolish man who had dared put his hands on Belle's body, she had urged him on, giggling with excitement and delight while he mercilessly hit the man.

He had seen it on her face. Admiration and awe.

Lacey was apparently attracted and drawn to him for the power and darkness that he had displayed.

But Lacey was simple-minded. She craved power and darkness without knowing the true danger of it. Like a silly moth.

Mr. Gold grunted in distaste. Childish. Unsophisticated. Vain. Nothing like his Belle.

Perhaps Belle was never coming back…

Mr. Gold gripped the cup harder.

Even so, Lacey's face popped into his mind. Her pale blue eyes, high cheekbones, sensual red lips…Who was to say she was not Belle?

It was comforting to hear that Keith's unfortunate incident had seemed to discourage men from approaching Lacey. It had given Mr. Gold time to clear his head without having to worry about men taking advantage of Lacey.

Belle would never want anybody else to touch her. He had to win her heart.

Mr. Gold's train of thoughts was interrupted when his doorbell jingled.

Lacey walked into his shop in a half-drunken state, her face flushed and her steps unstable. She slowly walked up to Mr. Gold and rested her elbows on the counter.

Mr. Gold kept his expression neutral. She was wearing her usual provocative outfit, and drunk again. His heart ached for Belle. Belle would never do that to her own body.

"Hi, Mr. Gold," Lacey drawled, the little smirk tugging at her lips not very Belle-like.

Mr. Gold put the chipped cup away. He smiled at Lacey courteously. "Lacey, nice to see you again."

"Uh…I just left the Rabbit Hole and wanted to come and say Hi." Lacey shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm glad you came." Mr. Gold poured a glass of water and pushed it towards her. She looked up at him.

"It helps prevent a hangover," he explained.

Lacey's heart warmed. There weren't a lot of people who genuinely cared about her.

She took the water. "Thank you." She took a sip. "Um…uh, the men at the Rabbit Hole…"

Mr. Gold looked up sharply. Those men had better not harm her, or else—

"They say I'm your girl." Lacey bit her lip and smiled mischievously at Mr. Gold.

Mr. Gold laughed. "I heard." Truth be told, he was greatly pleased by the rumor.

"So…am I?" Lacey asked, "Your girl?"

Mr. Gold paused for a moment. "That depends on you, dearie. Is that what you want?"

"Well." Lacey put down the glass and walked around the counter. She looked up at Mr. Gold and said in her thick accent, "I think I like you, Mr. Gold."

Mr. Gold's face broke into a smile. Belle still wanted him even when her memory was cursed. Perhaps there was hope. He tucked a strand of curly hair behind Lacey's ear. "Then the feeling is mutual."

"Hmm…" A small smile played on Lacey's lips as she regarded Mr. Gold. Then something crossed her mind and she cleared her throat. "Belle…"

Mr. Gold's heart jumped at the mention of Belle.

"What happened to you guys?" She continued.

Mr. Gold's heart twisted. "I lost her," he said quietly.

Lacey looked into Mr. Gold's eyes. "Will you…go back to her, if she comes back?" Her hands gripped the counter, waiting for his answer.

There was a long silence. Mr. Gold did not expect the question, but he knew what he had to say. "She won't come back." _When she does, you won't know it. _

"That's good to hear," Lacey wrapped her arms around Mr. Gold's waist and rested her head on his chest, "'cause there's only me now."

Mr. Gold put his arms around Lacey. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes, letting her embrace ease his torment. _Belle…_

Lacey relaxed. She was in the most powerful man's arms. She felt safe, warm, and loved…

It felt like home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:**

I don't own Once Upon A Time.  
Some part of this chapter is from Once Upon A Time S2 x 21.

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**2**

Lacey woke up to an unfamiliar setting. She blinked several times before scanning her surroundings and finding Mr. Gold asleep in an armchair across the room. She sat up and realized she was in the backroom of Mr. Gold's pawnshop.

Lacey frowned. She did not remember coming into the backroom. The last thing she remembered was being in the comfort of Mr. Gold's arms. She must have fallen asleep.

She lifted the blanket and peered down. Her clothes were intact.

Lacey stared at Mr. Gold in confusion. She had come into his shop intoxicated at late night. She had told him she liked him and had thrown herself at him.

What man wouldn't take the opportunity to get his hands in a girl's pants? Mr. Gold hadn't even joined her in the bed. She scowled. Did he not find her attractive?

Lacey knew men all too well, every man who had expressed interest in her hadn't been able to keep their hands off her. Sometimes she found them disgusting. At times, when the loneliness became too much to handle, she would accept their advances, although the loneliness always doubled afterwards.

But with Mr. Gold…she wanted more. There was a pull that Lacey couldn't quite explain.

Lacey couldn't forget that night when Mr. Gold had struck Keith to near death for touching her. She giggled at the memory. Keith had been making out with her—Lacey grimaced—it hadn't been pleasant, but not a big deal. Mr. Gold had reacted as if Keith had been fucking her then and there.

It felt like there was a void in her heart…and Mr. Gold was slowly filling it.

Love was a beautiful thing. Though unreachable, Lacey still silently hoped.

Perhaps with Mr. Gold, she could at least get a taste of it?

Mr. Gold stirred and opened his eyes, and Belle sitting on his sofa bed came into his view. It was almost like all the other times when Belle had spent the night in his shop. He half expected to hear her call him lovingly.

_"Rumple."_

"Mr. Gold," Lacey greeted, noticing that Mr. Gold was awake.

Mr. Gold stared at Lacey for a split second before he replied with a smile, "Lacey, good morning."

Lacey returned a sly smile. "Did you put me to bed?"

"Well, it seemed you had a drink too many."

Lacey tilted her head. "And you preferred the armchair?"

Mr. Gold's lips curved upwards, amused. "The armchair _is_ comfortable."

Lacey raised an eyebrow and got out of bed. Mr. Gold watched as she sauntered towards him, swaying her hips in the process. She sat on his lap and drawled, "Are you afraid of me, Mr. Gold?"

Mr. Gold huffed a laugh and pulled her closer by the waist, eliciting a giggle from Lacey. "Perhaps _you _should be afraid of me, dearie," he remarks seriously.

Lacey's breath hitched in her throat at once. Mr. Gold's hand felt like iron on her waist. They were so close…Lacey's lips parted in expectation.

Then Mr. Gold smacked her thigh lightly. "Let's get washed up then we'll get some breakfast."

**X X X**

It was bad enough that he longed to touch Belle, but couldn't, Mr. Gold thought. It was worse when he was not the only one.

Lacey's fashion tastes were much different from Belle's, which seemed to attract a lot of unwanted attention—unwanted by Mr. Gold.

Lacey did not seem to mind the attention. She found it amusing. That was when she winked playfully at Dr. Whale.

Mr. Gold almost _snapped__. _He wrapped his arm around Lacey's waist and pulled her closer to his side. "Careful, Lacey," he warned dangerously, "we don't want our doctor to end up like, what's his name? The man you went with during our first date."

Startled, Lacey drew in a sharp breath. "I'm sorry."

That wink was a little bad habit of hers that had just slipped out. She had no intention of disrespecting Mr. Gold at all, though she felt like she was going to melt in his possessive grip. When Lacey looked at Dr. Whale again, she broke into a laugh.

Mr. Gold growled. What was she laughing at?

Then he saw it.

Apparently Dr. Whale still hadn't recovered from Lacey's flirtatious gesture. He gaped at Lacey like she were a delicious meal. His eyes ran over the curves of her body, then her nice, long legs. Mr. Gold did not need telepathy to know the dirty thoughts going on in his head.

He felt a murderous rage rising in him.

"Seems like you have captivated another unfortunate soul," Mr. Gold said coldly. He let go of Lacey and strode towards Dr. Whale.

"Uh-oh," Lacey said, suddenly thrilled.

"Dr. Whale, enjoying the view?" Mr. Gold asked, his tone cool.

Dr. Whale snapped out of his daze. "M-Mr. Gold." He gave an awkward laugh. "Good day. I, uh, I'm just on my way to the hospital." He turned to walk around Mr. Gold.

Mr. Gold stretched out his cane, and Dr. Whale tripped and fell on his four. Mr. Gold gave him a swift kick in his gut and he was on his back.

"Not so fast," Mr. Gold said, leaning over Dr. Whale. "Did you just stare at her?"

Lacey stood behind Mr. Gold, watching his menacing stance with elation.

"C-come on, Gold…" Dr. Whale exclaimed, frightened. "I didn't do anything!"

"You stared at her," Mr. Gold spat, "and I know how you think! So kiss. My. Boot." And he brought his foot down towards Dr. Whale's face.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" A man rushed out from the building and pulled Mr. Gold back from Dr. Whale.

Mr. Gold struggled from his grasp. "Stand aside! This doesn't concern you!"

The man yelled at Dr. Whale, "GO!" And Dr. Whale staggered away.

"Let go of me, son!" Mr. Gold yelled, and the man released him.

Son? Lacey cocked her head and studied the man.

The man looked at Mr. Gold with disdain. "I'm surprised you didn't turn him into a snail."

"Huh? A snail?" Lacey laughed, bemused. "What're you…what're you talking about?"

Mr. Gold took a deep breath. "Lacey, why don't you wait in the shop?" He handed her his keys. "I'll be along shortly."

Lacey opened her mouth to protest, but complied at Mr. Gold's serious expression. She took the keys and headed back to the shop.

**X X X**

When Mr. Gold came back, he was fuming.

"I bought breakfast." He placed the takeout on the table.

Lacey went over and took out the food. She stole a glance at Mr. Gold. "You're angry."

Mr. Gold looked at Lacey. Yes, he was angry. He was angry with Lacey for her sleaziness. He was angry with himself for not being able to protect Belle. He was angry with himself for disappointing Neal again.

He had lapsed back into darkness, he knew. After years of regret, he had let his son down again. He took a deep breath and got his emotions under careful control. "You, are trouble," he merely said.

Lacey protested, "I didn't do anything!"

Mr. Gold scoffed, Lacey had been at fault as much as Dr. Whale had, he'd only chosen to take it all out on Dr. Whale.

He lifted Lacey's chin and looked at her seriously. "Lacey, I will tolerate anything, but unfaithfulness." He grunts inwardly at the frustrating situation. Never had he had to have this talk with Belle, and how long had Lacey been with him?

One day.

"I-I'm not going anywhere," Lacey faltered as Mr. Gold's touch and gaze sent a tingle up her spine.

Mr. Gold ran over Lacey's lower lip with a thumb. "Say that again," he said softly, appeased by her words.

Lacey licked her lips, she wanted Mr. Gold's kiss _now_. She held her chin up defiantly. "Only if you kiss me."

Mr. Gold blinked. "Wh—?"

Then she pulled him down by the collar and kissed him full on the mouth.

Instinctively Mr. Gold grabbed Lacey's shoulders to push her away. On second thought, he was sure the gesture would push her away for good.

So he moved his hand up to hold her face and returned the kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Once Upon A Time or its characters.

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**3**

Mr. Gold knocked on the door of Lacey's apartment.

The past week had been uneventful. He still couldn't figure out how to return Belle's memory and Lacey was still being Lacey, demanding either frivolous entertainment or his attention all the time.

But something was different today.

He had called Lacey in the morning to see if she wanted to have breakfast together, but she hadn't answered the phone. She'd texted him after a while: _Not in the mood. Talk to you tomorrow._

Mr. Gold looked at the bottle in his hand. Well, nothing lightened Lacey's mood better than a bottle of fine whisky. Perhaps a few late night drinks could get her to loosen up and tell him why she was sulking. He wanted her to be happy, after all, even if she wasn't Belle.

Mr. Gold knocked on the door again. "Lacey?" When there was no response, he started to worry. He flicked his wrist and the door opened. Lacey was not inside.

He frowned. Where was she?

**X X X**

Lacey bent over the pool table and held the cue stick securely in her hand. She aimed at the corner pocket and sent a pool ball skidding across the surface. The ball hit the edge and bounced back. Lacey swore under her breath.

She finished her glass of whisky, and aimed again.

Lacey was not going anywhere tonight. She would drink her sorrows away; she would play her sorrows away, then maybe when she saw Mr. Gold again she could end things with him without hesitation.

The pool ball hit the edge again, bouncing away violently. She ordered another whisky.

She had thought that Mr. Gold was just a quiet, slow-to-warm-up person. After all, Mr. Gold had only met her for a short time. That explained the lack of physical affection, right? He was a gentleman and wanted to take things slow.

Lacey aimed again.

No. Lacey might not have much experience in relationships, but she knew when a man was being patient, or simply didn't want her. Mr. Gold was the latter.

Lacey choked back tears and sent a pool ball flying across the table, she missed again.

She gulped down the glass of whisky.

Lacey was not stupid. She had noticed many things.

Mr. Gold would smile at her, but the smile never reached his eyes.

Mr. Gold would passively accept her kisses, but would never initiate.

Mr. Gold would look at her in a funny way, almost as if he was looking for something within her that wasn't there.

It was not hard to piece the puzzle together. He never wanted her. He never wanted Lacey. He kept her around because of Belle, because of the stupid woman who looked a lot like her.

Lacey shook with anger. She had never been so hurt and humiliated. She ordered another whisky.

That explained everything. It explained the mild affection that he showed her. The occasional pats on the head, the occasional hugs, his kindness, gentleness, it was all for Belle.

For Belle he kept her at arm's length.

For Belle he shut her out.

She clutched the edge of the pool table and swallowed her tears. It was for Belle that he'd asked her out in the first place.

It was for Belle that he had lost control with Keith and Dr. Whale.

And she had fallen for it.

Hadn't she always known that no one would truly care about her?

Why, why had she let herself hope?

She'd hoped that she could get a taste of what love felt like with Mr. Gold. Lacey laughed at the irony as tears escaped her eyes. She had. She had gotten a taste of his love for Belle. It tasted like fucking poison.

"Hey, you okay?" A man walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

Lacey turned to look at the man and shrugged his hand off. "Go away. I have a boyfriend."

The man put his hands up in a don't-shoot gesture. "Alright. Just wanna make sure you're okay."

Lacey studied the man again. The man looked at her tear-streaked face with concern. Well, here was someone who actually cared about Lacey—not stupid Belle. "Do you want to play?" She nodded at the pool table.

**X X X**

Mr. Gold stood in front of The Rabbit Hole, shocked by where the tracking spell had led him. He clenched his jaw and walked inside.

He spotted Lacey quickly.

Lacey and a man were sitting at a table drinking and laughing. The scene looked terrifyingly familiar.

"And then I put snappers underneath the toilet seat and my wife sat on it," the man laughed, "I thought she was gonna divorce me!"

Lacey couldn't stop laughing. "Oh bloody hell! You're evil." She then looked at him with a twinge of envy. "Sounds like you and your wife have a happy life."

"We do," the man smiled and said encouragingly, "talk to your boyfriend. My wife and I've come a long way, and it was worth it."  
They clinked their glasses of beer before gulping it down.

A wave of nausea surged over Mr. Gold. The noise in the bar seemed muffled and he could hear ringing in his ears.

For a moment he thought he was looking at a certain pirate and the woman he'd once loved.

Mr. Gold clutched his cane and walked up to Lacey. "History does repeat itself, don't you think?"

Shocked, Lacey looked up at him, she was not prepared to see him at all. "What...What're you doing here?"

"I was growing concerned when you did not answer my calls. Now I see that my concern was unnecessary," he said pointedly. His voice was soft as usual, but his tone was frigid.

Grasping his meaning, Lacey flushed with anger. How dare he? "You don't have the right to accuse me!" Lacey shouted and walked away from him.

"Don't I?" Mr. Gold grabbed her wrist, seething with fury. "You know what, dearie? It's time to go," and he yanked Lacey towards the door.

"Good!" Lacey yelled, pushing against him. "So GO!"

Mr. Gold stopped dead in his tracks, her words like an arrow pierced through his chest.

"_Milah, it's time to go."_

"_Good. So go."_

"_Please…Milah…"_

He gripped Lacey's wrist harder, the memory of crushing Milah's heart flooding his head.

He would _not_ be that man again. He wasn't that weak, helpless man anymore. If anything, she should do the begging.

Lacey cried out in pain and tried to pull her hand back. "You're hurting me!"

The man who'd been drinking with Lacey was terrified of Mr. Gold's wrath, but still hoped to intervene before it escalated further. "Mr. Gold…I don't think that's a good ide—"

"Stay back!" Mr. Gold snarled and waved his arm. The man flew back across the bar, falling hard onto the floor.

When the man looked up again, Mr. Gold and Lacey had disappeared.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I hope you enjoyed it. My take on Lacey is that, yes, she likes to fool around and has slept around (in her memory), a result from how she grew up (whatever background that Regina has given her can't be good), but that doesn't mean she isn't capable of love, however shallow or naive or silly she is :)

Thank you for those who have read and reviewed! It means a lot to me!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own OUAT

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**4**

One moment the floor seemed to disappear under Lacey and she was disoriented, holding on to Mr. Gold for dear life.

And then she was tossed not very gently onto a couch.

Lacey blinked, recognizing Mr. Gold's house. She gasped. "You. You can do magic. You healed me the night I was shot! Why did you lie to me?"

"Maybe I should ask you that same question, dearie!" Mr. Gold savagely pushed the tea table out of his way with magic and walked up to Lacey. He leaned forward and looked squarely in her eyes. "Why did _you_ lie to me?"

The unease in Lacey's eyes told him that he was slipping from Mr. Gold to the Dark One, but there was no stopping it. Not when he was feeling betrayed the way Milah had made him feel; the way Cora had made him feel. Not when Lacey had taken away the only person who would never betray him. He needed an explanation. A good one.

Regaining her composure, Lacey demanded, "When the hell did I lie to you?"

"You came to me. You told me you wanted me!" Mr. Gold replied heatedly, his tone accusing.

"I—"Lacey wanted to scream at him: _I do! I do! _Yet she stopped herself, not wanting to further humiliate herself knowing that she was, in fact, unwanted. Frustrated, she turned her head away.

Mr. Gold could feel his patience thinning. This woman wasn't even real, yet seemed real enough to push him over the edge. He grabbed Lacey's face and turned her head back to face him. "Don't test me," he hissed.

Lacey glared at him, unafraid. "What do you want me to say? Maybe I don't want you anymore!"

Mr. Gold faltered and loosened his grip on Lacey.

Never in his long life did he think he would hear these words coming from Belle's mouth. Any hope that perhaps a part of Belle…a small part of Belle, still resided in this body was shattered.

His chest tightened till it hurt. It had been his wishful thinking all along.

Lacey looked at Mr. Gold's agonized expression. _End it_, Lacey told herself, _end this now before you crawl back into his arms…_She put on her best bored expression and drawled, "You're boring, Gold." She then stood up and headed towards the door.

Mr. Gold quickly seized Lacey's arm and spun her around. He looked into her stubborn eyes, only feeling angrier as the moments passed. If she was not Belle at all, there was no point in being gentle. "Boring?" He gritted his teeth. Without warning, he lowered his head and crushed his lips against Lacey's, holding her by the neck and kissing her with fierce possessiveness.

Lacey gasped into his mouth. She gripped Mr. Gold's shoulders with her small hands but couldn't find the will to push him away. Stunned, she obediently allow Mr. Gold to plunge his tongue into her mouth and devour her.

Mr. Gold pulled back from her briefly, pleased to see her flushed face and swollen lips. "Do you want me to stop?" He whispered with an edge to his voice.

Lacey looked at Mr. Gold wide-eyed and dazed. God knew she'd yearned for this man's touch for far too long, and she threw reason out the window. "No," she rasped, "don't stop."

"Good," Mr. Gold growled in her ear, "because I won't stop until you know who you belong to." Belle might be gone, but there was no way he could let Lacey go just like that, even if he was only holding on to a shadow.

Lacey opened her mouth to protest, only to give Mr. Gold better access when he resumed exploring her mouth greedily. She wanted to say that she did not belong to him, that she was not Belle, but all thoughts became incoherent when Mr. Gold bit and teased her lips and tongue till her body burned. Her heart hammering hard in her chest was almost too much.

The world whirled around Lacey again, and she found herself lying on Mr. Gold's bed. When Mr. Gold snapped his finger, her tight black dress disappeared, revealing her laced black bra and panties. Lacey drew in a surprised breath.

"You're beautiful, Lacey. Has anyone ever told you that?" Mr. Gold murmured. He left a trail of kisses along Lacey's neck and shoulder, tasting her skin. He sucked on her pale shoulder a little too rough and left a bright red mark.

Lacey panted heavily, feeling vulnerable as she lay on the bed nearly naked and let Mr. Gold have his way with her. She has a lot experiences in bed (_she thinks she does)_, but for some reason she could not stop the uncontrollable trembling of her hands. She tried to keep them busy by unbuttoning Mr. Gold's shirt when he took her hands in his and placed them above her head. She whined.

His lips curled into a tight smile. "On my terms, dearie." When he removed his hands from hers, her hands remained immobilized.

Lacey tugged at her restraints experimentally and realized that Mr. Gold had bound her hands with magic, she sputtered, "You…jerk…" Her body started shaking, from both anxiety and excitement.

"You never liked it when I was kind," he retorted. He pressed his lips against her chest, nibbling and grazing her flesh with his teeth as he worked his way to her soft breasts. His large hands caressed her sensitive skin, and she moaned as each kiss and touch built tingles of pleasure within her.

Mr. Gold unclasped her bra and held her breasts in his hands. He took a nipple in his mouth and sucked hard, earning a sharp intake of breath from Lacey. She moaned and arched to him as he tugged one nipple with his teeth and pinched the other with his calloused fingers, shooting shocks of pleasure down between her legs.

And his heart ached to see her like this. So beautiful and too much like Belle.

"Mr. Gold…" Lacey breathed, calling out the name of the man she loved as wetness began to pool in her panties. She quivered and writhed under Mr. Gold as her arousal built, her sex begging for attention. She couldn't help but rubbed her thighs together.

Mr. Gold laughed and held her thighs apart, preventing her from relieving herself. "Patience is a virtue, dearie."

Lacey groaned in frustration, "C'mon, Mr. Gold…please…I need…"

"I know," Mr. Gold said softly. He found it difficult to stay angry with Lacey when she was in such a lovely state, when she was moaning _his_ name, but he still couldn't get over what had happened earlier tonight. "Why were you at the Rabbit Hole tonight?"

"Why…what?"

"Why were you at the Rabbit Hole tonight, dearie?" Mr. Gold repeated himself patiently.

"You…" Lacey stared at him incredulously. "you want to do this now?"

"It seems I do," Mr. Gold said coolly. "So why don't you tell me the truth?"

Lacey struggled against her restraints. She was trapped, tied in Mr. Gold's bed and yearning for his touch while being grilled. She protested feebly, "I don't want to talk!"

"We have got all night," Mr. Gold said, gently stroking her hot sex over her panties with his knuckles, determined to use her desire for him as a weapon. Lacey whimpered, her thighs shook as she breathed heavily, "You're an asshole!"

Mr. Gold scoffed, not even with Belle would he tolerate such insults (of course, Belle did not ever resort to insulting). He gave her nipple a punishing pinch, causing Lacey to yelp in a mixture of pain and pleasure. He then resumed fondling her slit relentlessly, making her moan and squirm. He narrowed his eyes. "Did you go there looking for this? With another man?"

"No!" Lacey replied breathlessly, she didn't want anybody else! "I only want you."

Satisfied with her answer, Mr. Gold moved towards Lacey. "Then why did you go there tonight?" His voice was firm, though not unkind.

Lacey swallowed the lump in her throat. Looking into Mr. Gold's demanding eyes, her walls slowly crumbled. She'd never wanted to lie to him. "I only went for a drink," tears started to roll down from her eyes, and she gave a rueful laugh. "drowning my misery."

Mr. Gold had noticed her sadness, he just couldn't figure why. "Why were you miserable?"

Unease gripped him as soon as he asked the question.

"_Why were you so miserable?"_

"_BECAUSE I NEVER LOVED YOU."_

He barely had time to brace himself before Lacey answered, "Because," her voice cracked, "because _you_ never loved _me_!" At that, she sobbed as tears streamed down her face.

What?

Mr. Gold stared at Lacey, his brain failed to make sense of what she had just said.

"Stop it!" Lacey shouted through her sob, her eyes desperate, "Stop looking at me like I'm some kind of monster who kidnapped your Belle! I DIDN'T!"

Mr. Gold staggered back.

_No. _He was the monster.

The truth was a heavy blow. It hit Mr. Gold in the face and ripped his heart out as realization dawned on him. He had been so, so wrong all along.

He looked at Lacey as if it was the first time he saw her, and he realized he hadn't known her at all.

He had blindly rejected her, had been convinced that Lacey could not be Belle, because no one could ever be as good as Belle. He had even hated her, blamed her for his loss, when all Lacey had done was fall in love with him.

He had thought that Lacey wasn't real. Lacey wasn't_ supposed to _be real.

Yet here was the proof, her pain and love for him as real as the tears that were pouring down her face.

He had focused so much on his own sorrows that he'd been blind to Lacey's feelings. She'd placed her heart on a platter for him and he'd refused to see it.

Did this not look familiar? Had he not rejected Belle with the same cruelty when she had first declared her love for him?

Mr. Gold silently unbound Lacey. When she sat up and inched towards the edge of the bed, Mr. Gold took her hand. "Don't go."

"Why? Because you love me?" Lacey asked sarcastically.

Mr. Gold couldn't bring himself to lie, certainly not when Lacey had poured her heart out with him. "Because I care about you," he replied genuinely, stroking her tears away from her cheek. "I'm sorry, love."

Care about who? Lacey looked down at her knees and mumbled, "I'm not Belle."

Mr. Gold's lips twitched up in a smile. "That much is clear. Belle has _never _made me so angry."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **I do not own Once Upon A Time. Part of this chapter is from the show S2x21 Second Star To The Right.

I want to thank the people who have given me feedback and opinions! Thank you very much!

* * *

**5**

Lacey rolled over and rested her head on Mr. Gold's shoulder, a small smile playing on her lips. Mr. Gold had to wonder if she was having a good dream.

Feeling a tad thirsty, Mr. Gold attempted to quietly get off the bed for water when Lacey tightened her arms around him like a koala, bent on using his arm as a pillow.

Mr. Gold did not know whether to laugh or cry, he sighed in defeat and used a summoning spell instead.

As his eyes lingered on Lacey's sleeping form he could feel gratefulness swelling in his chest.

"_I'm not Belle," Lacey mumbled, keeping her head down._

_He smiled at her, "That much is clear. Belle has never made me so angry."_

_Lacey peered at him from under her lashes, wondering what he meant by that, and then she saw the glint in his eyes and she realized he was teasing her. _

_A coy smile spread across Lacey's face as she leaned close to him. "Hm, do you still want to punish me?" He blinked at her, and she grinned. "You can tie me back up if you want. That was kind of hot."_

Mr. Gold huffed a laugh at the memory. Lacey was many things: beautiful, high-spirited, mischievous, but he certainly had not known that she was also _forgiving_.

**X X X**

"Are you done?" Lacey asked for the thirty-seventh time, sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed over the arm and downing a glass of wine like it was a shot of tequila.

Mr. Gold ignored her. He cut a short strand of gold and placed it in the flask, the potion inside sizzled and glowed.

Lacey whined, "What, are you making anyway?"

"Magic," he answered tonelessly, not looking at her.

Lacey had had it. She put down her wine glass and walked up to Mr. Gold, resting her elbows on the glass case and hunching slightly forward. She discreetly pulled her neckline lower to make sure that Mr. Gold would get a good view. "Tell me about it," she purred.

Mr. Gold looked at her and chuckled. She was so desperate for his attention, he decided to entertain her a little. He suddenly picked up the flask and poured all its content onto the glass case. Lacey gasped and stepped back, afraid that the potion would get on her. To her surprise, the liquid turned into countless of small beads as soon as it left the flask and hit the glass case with pitter-patter sounds.

"What—" Lacey stopped when she realized that those were not beads after all. They were diamonds. "How…" she picked up a diamond and examined it in awe.

"Magic, of course," Mr. Gold replied with a smile. Using magic did not always make his loved ones happy. Lacey obviously did not mind.

"This, is honestly the coolest thing I've ever seen," Lacey said, all wide-eyed and stunned.

Mr. Gold raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? I think I can prove you wrong."

Lacey narrowed her eyes playfully. "What else can you do?"

Mr. Gold's lips curved upwards. He couldn't help but wanted to spoil Lacey a little bit.

He hovered his palm above the scattered diamonds for a split second, and when he flipped his hand over, the diamonds vanished; instead, a beautiful diamond necklace hung from his hand. "Anything."

Lacey stared at the necklace, and then at Mr. Gold. She laughed and walked around the glass case, allowing Mr. Gold to put the necklace on for her. The bright smile never left her face.

"There are many perks to being the Dark One," Mr. Gold said lightly.

Lacey pondered over that. "Immortality being one of them, right?"

Mr. Gold nodded.

"Could you...uh," Lacey turned to look at Mr. Gold from the corner of her eye. "Could you keep me young?" She wondered if that was too much to ask, but she had to. She could not help thinking about what would happen…when she was old and no longer beautiful, while Mr. Gold remained the same.

"Yeah," Mr. Gold answered softly. He could, if she truly wished it. It would require some complicated magic, _dark_ magic, but doable. After all, he was the Dark One.

Lacey wrapped her arms around his neck and continued, her eyes loving and her voice sincere, "So that we can be together forever. Nothing can keep us apart."

Mr. Gold regarded Lacey with tender eyes. He could see the hope on her face, though slightly naive. Forever was a long time. Did she wish forever with him? Lacey and Belle…so different yet somewhat alike. He was not sure how he deserved the love of both of them.

But Lacey did not have forever, Mr. Gold thought a little sadly. However fond of her he was, however fond of her he would grow to be, he could not give her forever. Belle had to come back, he would find a way.

Actually, came to think of it, he was not sure if _he _would have forever.

Seeing Mr. Gold's troubled expression, Lacey asked, "What's wrong?"

Mr. Gold could not be completely honest with Lacey, but he could share some of his worries. "Immortal means to live forever. It doesn't mean that one can't be killed. There was a prophecy that someone might be my undoing."

Lacey frowned. It was hard to imagine that anyone could harm Mr. Gold, but if the prophecy was true… "Do you know who this someone is?"

Mr. Gold nodded gravely.

"Well, then get rid of them. Stop them," Lacey said flatly. She did not doubt that if Mr. Gold wanted to eliminate someone, nothing could stop him. Problem solved.

Mr. Gold eyed Lacey with curiosity. She hadn't batted an eye at his violence, it seemed that murder did not bother her either. He had almost forgotten, Lacey was beautiful, high-spirited, mischievous, but she was also _corrupt_: a fundamental difference that separated her from Belle. He wondered how far her darkness could go. "What if I tell you, that that someone is my grandson?"

Lacey opened her mouth, and then shut it. She finally said, "Easy. Stay as far away from him as possible."

"You suggest that I run from him?" Mr. Gold blinked at the absurdity of it.

"No," Lacey smirked. "Make _him_ run from _you_. I'm sure you can find a way."

Mr. Gold entertained the idea. "And what if that doesn't work?"

"If he leaves you no choice," Lacey cocked her head to the side. "How does the saying go? The best defense is a good offense."

Mr. Gold did not respond to that. He knew she was right. A good offense was, indeed, the best defense. But that was Bae's son…As ruthless as Rumpelstiltskin was, he had never harmed his family on purpose.

Lacey's lips curled up in an annoying smile, the smile almost challenging. "I thought you were a man who wouldn't let anything stand in his way."

She pushed the right button. The Dark One in Mr. Gold urged him to wipe that smile off her face. He pulled Lacey towards him, earning a giggle from her. "I am," he growled. Lacey bit her lip and cast her eyes downward, suddenly a little shy.

Mr. Gold lifted her face and claimed her mouth in a fervent kiss. He barely remembered to magicked the shop sign to CLOSED and the blinds shut.

Lacey couldn't suppress a smug grin as Mr. Gold guided her to bend over the showcase. She had his full attention after all.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

This is a fairly short chapter, but I feel that it's necessary to show Mr. Gold's attitude change towards Lacey and it leads up to his attempted murder of Henry (Uncool, Gold!), which is then followed by Belle's return. And yup, Lacey isn't an angel. As far as she's concerned, what Mr. Gold is about to do is self-defense.

Again, thank you for those who have given me feedback and ideas!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Once Upon A Time or its characters.

* * *

**6**

Mr. Gold flipped his shop sign to CLOSED. He'd made up his mind. He was ready to go after Henry when the door sudden opened and a man came in.

"Can you read? Shop is closed," Mr. Gold said coolly, walking past the man.

Leroy ignored Mr. Gold's hostility. He wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for Belle. "There is something—"

"Not. Interested," Mr. Gold interjected, holding the door open to hint for Leroy to leave.

Why Belle would love such a monster Leroy would never understand. He slammed the table with his fist, and when he opened his hand he revealed a vial of blue liquid.

"What is that?" Mr. Gold eyed the potion dubiously and asked.

"Memory restoring potion," Leroy answered simply.

Mr. Gold's heart leaped and he let the door close. Memory restoring potion…that would mean…

"Mother Superior finally figured it out," Leroy continued, "she made one for Sneezy and it worked. I asked her to make a second dose for Belle."

Leroy stuffed the potion into Mr. Gold's hand. "Belle once helped remind me who I was, I've never forgotten. I want to return the favor. Let her drink this from something that's important to her."

Mr. Gold held the potion in his hand, barely aware that Leroy had left. Belle…his Belle…always so kind and sweet, even the dwarf had owed her a favor.

And now he could finally bring her back.

He walked back to the cupboard and took out the chipped cup. He then uncorked the vial to pour the potion into the cup, but he stopped short. No, that would not do. He doubted Lacey would want to see this cup, let alone drink from it. He passed his hand over the cup and changed its shape to disguise it as a wine glass.

"There…" Satisfied now, he poured the potion into the glass.

The doorbell suddenly jingled again and Mr. Gold had to snap, "For Heaven's sake—"

"What? I'm not welcome here either?" Lacey snapped right back.

Mr. Gold blinked. Perfect Timing. "Lacey. I'm sorry, love. I thought it was the Charmings or the dwarves again."

Lacey grouchily moved towards Mr. Gold.

Mr. Gold glanced at the memory potion and said causally, "I came across something that you might be interested in," he motioned towards the glass, "a very rare type of wine. Try it."

His heart started racing. _Drink it. Bring her back. Let it work. Please._

"Sure," Lacey muttered, "I could use some alcohol." She looked up and reached for the glass.

Mr. Gold finally noticed Lacey's face. Her eyes were red and puffy, lacking her usual cheerfulness. Her jaw was tense and her hand shook a little when she held the wine glass.

Mr. Gold covered her hand with his. "What's wrong, dearie?"

Lacey looked at him, her eyes welled up with tears and her lips quivered, like she wanted to tell him something. She finally composed herself and shrugged. "Nothing a good glass of wine can't fix." She brought the "wine" up towards her lips.

Once again Mr. Gold held her hand down, stopping her from taking the potion. Logically, he understood that whatever was bothering Lacey could wait till after Belle returned. It would be easier anyway. Belle would always confide in him without hesitation; Lacey, on the other hand, did not trust him enough yet.

Yet, somehow it was important that _Lacey_ told him, that Lacey trusted him the same way Belle did. He did not know why it mattered, but he was not done with her, not when she was so upset. "Tell me what happened. Has someone hurt you?" Mr. Gold furrowed his brows.

Utterly annoyed now, Lacey scowled, she wanted her drink! "No! Are you going to let me drink that or not?"

"No," Mr. Gold waved his hand and transferred the potion into the cupboard with magic, "Perhaps for once you shouldn't drown your problems in alcohol," he said crisply.

Lacey laughed dryly. She tilted her head to the side and pretended to think. "Hmm...What should I drown my problems in then?" She gave Mr. Gold a seductive look. "Maybe great sex. How about you help me out?" She then tiptoed and kissed Mr. Gold on the lips.

Lacey wrapped her arms around Mr. Gold's neck and slid her tongue into his mouth, enjoying the comfort of his embrace and the burning sensation that Mr. Gold's kiss always gave her; more so, enjoying the fact that Mr. Gold wasn't asking any questions at the moment.

Mr. Gold would have rolled his eyes at Lacey had she not been kissing him. He firmly pulled Lacey's hands off his neck and took a step away from her. "Nice try dearie, but no."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Lacey demanded. She was so _sick_ of being rejected all the fucking time—

"I only hope that by now you've realized I care about you more than that," Mr. Gold said quietly.

Lacey stared at Mr. Gold and felt the prick of tears behind her eyes again. This time, she hugged him tightly and let her tears drop.

"Sorry," Lacey hiccuped. "I care about you too."

"I know," Mr. Gold said as he rubbed her back.

"I love you," Lacey said in a small voice.

Mr. Gold's hand on her back halted for a moment, then he said again softly, "I know," and he kissed her forehead.

"I was taking a walk around town today." Lacey started fiddling with Mr. Gold's suit button.

"Yes," he said, indicating that he was listening.

Lacey continued, "Then I saw a flower shop, with really pretty flowers. I went inside."

Mr. Gold's heart sank. Moe French's flower shop.

Lacey pulled back from the hug and looked at Mr. Gold. "I saw my Dad."

Mr. Gold kept his expression neutral. So Lacey remembered her father… "Your Dad?"

She nodded. "He left when I was small, but I could still recognize him."

Mr. Gold frowned. Of course, Regina would not give Lacey a loving family. So in Belle's cursed memory Moe French had abandoned his family. "Were you sad to see him?"

Lacey's face crumpled. "No. I-I was surprised to see him, but I was happy. But he just looked me up and down, and he said…he said…" and tears started to fall down her face again.

Mr. Gold wiped her tears away. "What did he say?"

"He said it was bad enough that I was your whore," Lacey's voice cracked. A sob tore through her and Mr. Gold had to strain his ears to hear the words, "He asked if I'd changed my mind and decided to be a prostitute instead."

"He what?!" Mr. Gold snarled, absolutely enraged. Moe French probably did not know that Belle now had an alter ego, but _nothing _justified his insults.

Lacey took a deep breath and shrugged, attempting to appear unaffected by her father's hurtful words but failing miserably. "He said I was a disgrace to the family and told me not to go near his store ever again. It's not like I'm dying to go there anyway."

Lie! Lacey obviously had hoped for a father-daughter reunion, had hoped that her father would be happy to see her too, instead Moe French had given her a stab in the heart. Mr. Gold abruptly headed to the door.

Lacey gasped and caught his arm. "Where-where are you going? No."

"I promise I won't kill him," Mr. Gold said darkly. He would not kill him, but there would be hell for him to pay. Neither Belle nor Lacey was his whore, and Lacey certainly was not a prostitute. How. Dare. He? Mr. Gold clenched his jaw and moved towards the door.

"No, no, no!" Lacey spread her arms and blocked the door with her body. Mr. Gold said he wouldn't kill her father, but he didn't mention anything about…removing his tongue…or bludgeoning him to half death…or all the other things that the Dark One would do.

"He is _not_ walking away from this unscathed." Mr. Gold's tone made it clear that it was not up for discussion.

"But he _was_ scathed," Lacey insisted. "I was so angry I destroyed his flower pots. I think one landed on his foot."

"Good girl," Mr. Gold praised, "But not nearly enough. Move aside."

Lacey shook her head no.

"Lacey!" Mr. Gold exclaimed, exasperated.

"I hate him. I hate him! But I don't want you to hurt him. Please," Lacey started to cry again and Mr. Gold could feel his resolve weakening.

Mr. Gold let out a frustrated breath. Belle would always defend Moe French, and he'd accepted that. Now Lacey too? Seriously? A flower pot to the foot was enough punishment for that man? Where was the mean and unkind Lacey when he needed her?

He finally pulled Lacey into his arms and said grumpily, "I am still raising his rent!"

Lacey gave a small laugh against his chest. "By all means. He can go bankrupt for all I care."


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own OUAT or its character.

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**7**

"La la la…" Lacey hummed lowly as she poured herself some Grape Martini that she'd just concocted in Mr. Gold's kitchen.

Mr. Gold watched as she bit a grape off the plastic skewer. When Lacey noticed Mr. Gold watching, she winked flirtatiously at him.

Mr. Gold laughed.

"What?" Lacey gave Mr. Gold an innocent look. "It was yummy."

"I see you like to complement your pajamas with a diamond necklace. Is that the latest trend?" Mr. Gold teased.

Lacey narrowed her eyes at Mr. Gold, daring him to challenge her. "Yeah right it is. What do you know about the trend huh?"

Mr. Gold laughed again. He knew of Lacey's obsession with the diamond necklace that he'd given her. Sometimes she just liked to wear it at home for the sake of wearing it. Mr. Gold never missed an opportunity to tease Lacey about it.

"Shut up," Lacey muttered. She gulped down her martini and said, "Hey. Can I try the blue wine that you showed me yesterday?"

Mr. Gold looked up at the mention of the potion, relieved that Lacey'd brought it up. He had been waiting for another chance to get Lacey to drink the memory potion without appearing suspicious. He gave Lacey a smile. "Of course, dearie."

He was about to wave his hand and summon the potion from his shop when a thought crossed his mind. "Actually, let's wait till later. I have some…matters to attend to."

**X X X**

Mr. Gold stood afar from the playground, leaning on his cane. His eyes fixed on the boy swinging joyfully on the rope swing.

He stared as the boy swung higher and higher, and the Seer's words echoed in his head.

_The boy will be your undoing._

_The boy will be your undoing._

Mr. Gold's eyes darted to the protruding rock standing not far from the swing.

The best defense is a good offense.

Rumpelstiltskin had had many enemies over the hundreds of years, and it wasn't his mercy that had let him live this long.

"_I thought you were a man who won't let anything stand in his way," Lacey said. _

"I am," Mr. Gold murmured with determination.

He gave his cane a slow twist, releasing his magic and causing the rope that was supporting Henry to fray. As Henry continued to swing back and forth, Mr. Gold continued to twist his cane, willing the rope to tear more.

Henry was swinging precariously on the rope now, unaware of the danger awaiting him. One last twist was all Mr. Gold needed, he could send Henry flying towards the sharp rock.

Mr. Gold clutched his cane and was about to give it a final twist when Henry suddenly turned his head and spotted him. "Mr. Gold!" he shouted.

Taken aback, Mr. Gold stopped his action. Henry jumped off the rope and ran towards Mr. Gold, "Mr. Gold! Belle gave me a present!" he said excitedly.

Mr. Gold furrowed his brows in confusion. "Belle gave you a present?"

"My birthday present! I'll show you." Henry then turned and ran to the bench.

Did he mean Lacey? Mr. Gold mused, but why would Lacey give Henry a present?

Henry jogged back to Mr. Gold holding something in his hand. "Look. I found it in the library."

It was a children's book. Surprised, Mr. Gold took the book from Henry and looked at it. No, Lacey had nothing to do with books. Could it really be Belle...?

"I think Belle was going to give it to me before she lost her memory," Henry explained.

_The Mythology Handbook. _Mr. Gold turned to the first page and found a sticky note. It was Belle's hand writing:

_Henry,  
Happy Birthday! Never underestimate the wisdom in fairytales and myths.  
Belle_

Mr. Gold ran his fingers over her writing, and a sharp sense of longing clawed at his heart, painful and suffocating. "Belle," he whispered, his tears starting to blur his vision. He flipped through the pages to see if there was any more traces of Belle and found himself on a dog-eared page.

"That's the story of Oedipus," Henry looked at the page. "It's really sad."

Oedipus, one of the most tragic heroes in Greek Mythology. Of course Mr. Gold knew his story: The King of Thebes received a prophecy that his son, Oedipus, would one day kill his father and married his mother. In an attempt of avoiding this cruel fate, the King left Oedipus in the mountain to die when he was born. However, in a twist of events Oedipus survived and was adopted. Upon hearing the very same prophecy about himself, Oedipus left his country, believing that the prophecy referred to his adoptive parents, thus sending himself closer to his birth parents. In the end, Oedipus unknowingly fulfilled the prophecy.

Mr. Gold took a deep breath and closed the book with renewed resolve. If the story taught him anything, it was that the King should have done a thorough job when he had the chance.

"The King never should have sent Oedipus to die," Henry said.

"Why?" Mr. Gold tilted his head.

"He set everything in motion," Henry said it as if it was obvious, "the prophecy wouldn't have come true if he hadn't tried to kill his son."

Mr. Gold shook his head at Henry, he wished the gears of fate were that simple. "It would still have happened."

"You don't know that it would," Henry disagreed.

"You don't know that it wouldn't," Mr. Gold replied apologetically, "Fate is notorious for its uncertainty and unique sense of humor." _That is why I don't have a choice, Henry._

"Exactly," Henry stood steadfastly by his belief. "Nobody knows. That's why we can only do the right thing and hope for the best."

Mr. Gold would have scoffed at Henry's optimism and guilelessness, except that he sounded too much like someone, someone who even the darkest part of him loved irrevocably.

He looked down at Belle's writing again and laughed at its timing. It was as if Belle had never left his side.

Mr. Gold gave Henry a defeated smile. "Belle would have said that."

**X X X**

Lacey slowly sipped her Whisky while flipping through Mr. Gold's Potion Handbook.

The other day she had come across a large wooden box full of books in the backroom of Mr. Gold's shop. Lacey was not a keen reader, but some magic books in there were entertaining enough.

Very soon Lacey found her glass empty.

Lacey opened Mr. Gold's wine cabinet to look for another drink. She moved the Scotch and spotted a blue drink in the back. "Ah ha. There you are."

She took out the blue wine and smelled it curiously. She expected a rich fruity flavor; oddly, it did not smell like anything. Lacey remembered Mr. Gold asking her to wait, but...Oh well, it wasn't like Mr. Gold would get mad at her over a glass of wine.

Lacey took a small sip. She frowned and examined the liquid again. It tasted like nothing. What kind of wine was this?

"_I will go with you forever."_

"_Deal."_

Lacey looked around sharply. She thought she heard someone talking…

"_Belle."_

Lacey turned to the door impatiently. "Why're you calling me that aga—" She stopped dead when she saw that no one else was in the shop.

The voices were in her head. "Okay..." Lacey gulped. "This is creepy."

_She was pushed into a cell and the door locked. _

"_You can't just leave me in here! Hello? Hello?!"_

Lacey's hands shook and she hastily put down her drink. "What the hell?" She whispered apprehensively as she stepped away from the "wine".

Lacey was about to flee the shop when realization struck her. That was no wine. That was a potion: a potion that gave her visions about Belle. Did Mr. Gold want her to know their history? Was he giving her a way to learn his past?

It only took her a minute to decide. Lacey picked up the potion again, then she took a deep breath and drank it all.

She gasped as her memories flooded back. Visions and voices appeared in her head one after another. It was almost as if she had freshly experienced her life all over again in mere seconds.

And then she became Belle.

"Rumple…Rumple." Slightly disoriented and uneasy, Belle rushed towards the door, wanting to see her love immediately, but stopped in her tracks when she remembered that Rumpelstiltskin had not wanted her to drink the potion in the morning.

"Why…Why wouldn't Rumple want to bring me back…?" Dazed and overwhelmed, Belle asked to no one in particular.

Her life as Lacey played over in her head again. Tears welled in her eyes as she recollected all that had happened since she'd become Lacey. "H-Henry…Henry, oh God."


	8. Chapter 8

**8**

Belle sighed a breath of relief when she saw Henry enjoying dinner with Emma through the window of Granny's. She relaxed and rested her forehead against the wall as tears of relief rolled down her face. She knew that if anything had happened to Henry it would have been by her hands.

Assured that Henry was safe, Belle went back to Mr. Gold's house and started packing.

Belle packed all her belongings into her luggage: her clothes, Lacey's clothes, her toothbrush, her books, Lacey's music, her jewelry, her cup, Lacey's cup, her shoes and Lacey's fuck-me heels, determined to erase her traces from this house.

When Belle carried her luggage to the living room, she couldn't help but remembered all the happy memories that she had had in this house. Both hers and Lacey's. Belle huffed a teary laugh when she saw the disaster in the kitchen where Lacey had left unwashed wine glasses everywhere. Belle shook her head when she remembered her cursed self saying lazily, "Why would I do chores when you can do magic?" and Mr. Gold responded by waving his hand and making the kitchen clean itself.

Belle scanned around the house longingly, tears silently streaming down her face. She had spent some of her happiest moments in this place, with her one and only love, it would break her heart to leave, and she wondered if she would ever set foot in here again.

But it was all meaningless now, Belle reminded herself, when the true love that she had always believed in had been proven to be a mere delusion.

Belle's reverie was interrupted when the door opened and Mr. Gold entered the house. She quickly wiped her tears away and regretted instantly that she hadn't left sooner. She was not ready to face him; but seeing him right now, right in front of her, she only wished she could fall into his arms and forget about everything, like Lacey would.

"Lacey, why…where are you going?" Mr. Gold looked at her luggage and frowned, concern on his face, "What happened?"

Belle looked at herself and realized that she hadn't changed back to her usual outfit, probably for the better. She walked up to Mr. Gold and cleared her throat, "Mr. Gold, thank you for taking care of me all this time, but I, uh, should say goodbye to you. I—"

"What?" Mr. Gold looked at Belle in utter confusion, visibly shaken by what she'd said, "I don't understand…Has something happened?"

Belle kept her eyes on the luggage, avoiding eye contact with Mr. Gold, "I should go," she kept her tone as terse as she could.

Mr. Gold felt like his worst nightmare had come true, that Belle—or Lacey—finally realized that he was a man unworthy of her love. _No, it can't end this way. _They had come this far, and he refused to let it end this way. He gently lifted Belle's face to look at him, "No…have I done something? Please tell me."

Belle's eyes reddened and she said in a strangled voice, "It's not working. I thought—I thought what we had was true, but…I was wrong."

"What makes you think that?" Mr. Gold asked desperately, failing to understand the reason behind Lacey's change. Lacey, his little spitfire, would most likely yell at him before storming off if he'd upset her, and then only to come back and throw a temper tantrum again. But _this, _this evasiveness told him that something had gone terribly wrong.

"What we have—what's between you and I—_is_ true, Lacey. You know that I—" he stopped, struggling to get the words out, "I—"

Hurt and sadness crossed Belle's face. He could not say it. "You know you don't, Rumple," her voice cracked as her tears dropped, "You can't love a broken version of me."

Stunned, Mr. Gold stared searchingly at Belle's face, almost could not believe what he was seeing, "B-Belle." He reached out to touch her face, so careful as if she were glass.

Belle closed her eyes at his touch.

"You drank the potion," Mr. Gold said softly, caressing her hair.

Belle jerked her head away from his hand abruptly, "I did. The potion that you didn't want me to drink."

"What?" Absolutely baffled, Mr. Gold frowned. He had imagined Belle's return many times, but he hadn't expected her unhappiness and misunderstanding. "Belle, I would do anything, anything to bring you back—"

"When it suits you!" Belle interjected, unable to contain her anger and disappointment anymore, "You would do anything to bring me back when it suits you!"

Mr. Gold furrowed his brows, not grasping Belle's meaning at all, "Whatever do you mean by that?"

Belle took a deep breath, "You didn't want Lacey because she wasn't good enough, then you didn't want me because I'd be in your way of killing Henry. Am I right?"

Mr. Gold was dumbfounded.

He was a manipulative man. He planned his moves to get what he wanted. And he had, he had taken advantage of Belle's absence and Lacey's lack of compassion for his scheme. But never had he realized what it would look like in Belle's eyes: a betrayal, that she was dispensable and a mere chess piece to him. "I—" Mr. Gold opened his mouth, wanting to deny her accusation, to defend himself, but nothing came out because every word that Belle had said rang true in his ears.

He had withheld his love from Lacey yet still manipulated her into staying. He had postponed Belle's return because at that moment, he'd needed someone who'd stand by his side—not in his way.

Belle looked at Mr. Gold, a pained look on her face. "You can't even deny it…You can't even deny that you want me—us—only when it serves your purpose."

Fear gripped Mr. Gold as he saw the despair in Belle's eyes. He took a step closer to Belle, only causing her to step back farther from him. "Belle, maybe I am a selfish man, maybe I've chosen darkness over and over again, but you must believe that I want you no matter what."

Belle looked away, breathing fast and shallow from crying. Her eyes landed on her reflection in the mirror on the wall, the diamond necklace prominent on her neck. _Stupid Lacey._ "Perhaps father was right, you never loved me, or her," Belle yanked the necklace off her neck roughly, "I was a fool, Lacey was a fool, to believe that you could love us."

Not waiting for a reply, Belle dropped the necklace on the table and walked past Mr. Gold to leave. Mr. Gold swiftly grabbed her arm, his eyes pleading, "Belle, please, you can't believe that. I love you. It has never changed and never will."

Belle struggled to free her arm from Mr. Gold, her voice sad but steady, "Perhaps that's the problem. You've never changed." _And never will_.

Mr. Gold loosened his grip, a sense of powerlessness came over him as he watched Belle turn around and leave the house.


End file.
